A-Z anti-aging Articles

What is Astragalus?

Astragalus is one of the most widely used herbs in Asian medicine. It was first mentioned in Chinese medical texts from 2000 years ago. The root of the this plant is extensively studied in Asia. It is most well known for its effect on the immune system. It increases the activity of immune cells, resulting in more efficient responses to infection and reversing states of immune suppression. But that's only part of what it can do. Read on to learn more about this beneficial root, including how to find it in its most potent supplement form.

Top Astragalus Health Benefits

In contrast to the immune-boosting properties of some herbs, Astragalus can be taken for extended periods (several months) without showing a decrease in the immune system's response.

Astragalus for Stress

Try taking Astragalus when you feel stressed. This powerful herb is an adaptogen, which can help regulate your body in times of stress by providing a boost in energy without the jittery effects associated with caffeine. When most people think of stress, they often feel burned out and have diminished energy. However, stress can impact your body in many ways, including your immune system. Your immune system comprises a network of cells, tissues and organs that work together to protect you from infections and other health problems. When your immune system detects an intruder in your body, it sends lymphocytes to fight off the threat.

Antiviral and Immune Health Benefits

Astragalus has antiviral properties and supports a healthy immune response. It also helps to promote a healthy stress response and helps improve your resilience. This process stimulates the production of natural hormones, white blood cells, and other substances that help regulate your immune response. It contains saponins, which improve blood circulation and reduce inflammation. It has also been shown to support your body's ability to heal.

In addition to its benefits for the cold season, Astragalus helps reduce seasonal allergy symptoms, including sneezing, runny nose, congestion and itchy eyes.

Cardiovascular System Benefits

It positively affects the cardiovascular system by protecting the heart from viral infections that damage heart tissue. Astragalus also improves shortness of breath and cardiac output in patients with congestive heart failure.

Anti-Aging Benefits

Cycloastragenols and astragalosides are constituents of the astragalus root that have been implicated in activating telomerase. A telomere is a region of repetitive DNA at the end of a chromosome; it protects the end from deterioration and allows cells to divide (which inevitably means shortening) without losing genetic material. Telomerase is an enzyme that initiates telomere synthesis and can add to the end of the telomere, ensuring that it does not wear down too much or too fast. Astragalosides have been shown to increase this enzyme production. Not only does this mean that Astragalus prevents depletion, but it may be capable of supporting a certain amount of telomere rebuilding. This makes up for what has been lost through the natural process of aging and DNA replication, which has numerous implications regarding anti-aging abilities.

Astragalus Supplements

The herb is often found in Chinese patent formulas mixed with other herbs, such as licorice and ginseng. These formulas are specially formulated to increase the power of single herbs by combining them with other synergistic herbs.

It is often available as a dried root, tincture or solid extract. Clinical doses range from 250 milligrams to more than 1 gram per day, depending on the herb's format.

• Dried root: 9-15 grams daily
• Tincture: 6-18 millilitres daily.
• Powdered solid extract: 750-1500 milligrams daily.

Remember that clinical doses may be higher if you work with a practitioner.

You can safely take Astragalus for up to four months.

Important Information

Astragalus can generally be tolerated well by most people, with few side effects noted.

The Asian philosophy believes that the herb can boost the strength of the infecting organism and the patient. It should not be used when an individual has a fever. More research is needed about the use of this herb in HIV patients.

Because it has not been studied in pregnant or breastfeeding women, its use is not recommended.

Astragalus FAQs

What is Astragalus?

Astragalus is a root used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It effectively increases the body's ability to deal with stress and supports healthy immune function.

How Does Astragalus Work?

Astragalus can help boost your immune system by stimulating white blood cell production, which helps fight off infections and diseases. Studies suggest it can improve lung function and help with hypertension or high cholesterol.

What Does Astragalus Root Do?

Astragalus is a perennial plant used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It has many benefits for the immune system and is an anti-inflammatory agent.

How Much Astragalus Should I Use?

The amount of herb used depends on the format. Refer to the list above to determine the optimal dose.

Where Can I Buy Astragalus Supplements?

Most health food stores carry a good selection of astragalus supplements.

Collagen is one of the major proteins found in the soft tissue and connective tissue of humans and other mammals. As a supplement, it acts as a source of amino acids for use in making and repairing connective tissue all over the body. Thus this protein is used to repair skin that is damaged by wounds and burns, and it can also help to support healthy cartilage, ligaments and tendons in the body. Natural health practitioners commonly recommend collagen supplementation for joint injury, arthritis, joint inflammation, skin ulcers, burns, wounds, as well as joint strains and sprains.

Top Health Benefits of Collagen Supplements

Cartilage and Joint Support

Cartilage is the connective tissue pad that acts as a cushion and eliminates friction in your joints. It is the cushion in your knees, and other large joints, and it forms the pads that space each vertebra to help protect the spinal cord. Wear-and-tear injuries occur in the joints and cause less support, less cushioning and more friction. Breakdown of cartilage is responsible for erosive conditions, such as osteoarthritis. Interestingly, the presence of the stress hormone cortisol in the blood promotes the breakdown of collagen into its amino acid building blocks.

Skin Benefits

Collagen is one of the main building blocks of the skin. The structure of this protein actually draws water into the tissues, resulting in firm, plump, youthful skin. Thus, a lack of sufficient cartilage can result in wrinkles and sagging of skin associated with aging. Collagen is often added to skin care products for topical application against wrinkles and age spots. In addition to keeping our youthful glow, the presence of this protein may help skin ulcers by repairing the skin and increasing the integrity of the arteries and veins. Because collagen provides the building blocks for skin repair, it can speed the healing of most wounds.

Different Types of Collagen: An Intricate Balance

There are a large number of collagen types in the body, referred to in the health industry by roman numeral. Four of these are the main ones used to form our tissues and organs.

Type I & III

Type I collagen is the type found in over 90% of the body. It is found in skin, tendon, vascular ligature, organs, bone, and scar tissue. In fact, collagen type I is the main organic component of the bone. Type III collagen is commonly found alongside type I in the human body. These types of collagen can also be used to provide the building blocks to help repair damaged ligaments and tendons.

Type II

Over 50% of cartilage protein is made of type II. This type is also commonly called hyaline cartilage. Cartilage is the tissue that eliminates friction in your joints. Because of this, type II collagen is often used as a supplement to provide the building blocks for the protection and repair of cartilage in the body. This allows it to be used to help treat wear-and-tear injuries, and erosive joint conditions like osteoarthritis.

Type IV

This particular type is found in the body's tissues and actually forms the vast majority of the basement membrane. This means that it forms the main connections between the bases of the cells of the tissues. This allows type IV collagen to support proper healing of wounds.

Important Information When Shopping For Collagen Supplements

Various types of this protein can be found as encapsulated powder or liquid. They are usually combined with other joint repairing nutrients and vitamins. Sometimes cartilage is directly supplemented to be a source of collagen, particularly type II. When found individually, type II collagen is found as a component of pain relieving and anti-inflammatory formulas. It is often added to anti-aging skin care products. Type I & III are also available and should be used after good results are found with type II to further rebuild damaged joints or tissue. Depending on the severity of joint destruction collagen may need to be taken for a few months before results are seen.

Everyone wants to live a long, healthy life and many of us look for new and healthy ways to fight against the signs of aging, both externally and internally as a means to protect our health and longevity. As we age, however, our bodies become less effective at producing energy and repairing damage caused by free radicals. This can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, memory loss, and other symptoms of aging. Fortunately, CoQ10 supplementation has been shown to improve mitochondrial function and reduce these symptoms of aging.

However, as we get older, our bodies naturally produce less coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).

In this article, we'll look at what CoQ10 is and how it works, as well as some specific ways in which it affects the aging process by protecting against oxidative damage.

What is Aging?

It's important to understand the aging process so you can start taking steps to prevent it from happening prematurely. Aging is a general term for the physical changes that take place in your body as you grow older. It is a natural process, but it can be accelerated by factors such as stress and unhealthy living.

Changes That Happen With Aging

As we age, our telomeres begin to shorten. Telomeres are the protective caps of DNA that sit at the ends of our chromosomes. They're like the plastic tips on shoelaces, only they protect our DNA from damage. Additionally, our bodies produce less of our sex hormones, which are responsible for our muscle and bone mass.

Free-Radical Theory of Disease:

The free radical theory of disease and aging has become generally accepted by the medical community. The free radical theory of disease and aging states that aging is caused by the accumulation of damage to our DNA, proteins, and lipids as a result of exposure to free radicals. A free radical is an atom or molecule that has at least one unpaired electron. This makes it unstable, and it will try to find another electron to pair up with. The problem is that this can cause damage to your cells and lead to premature aging. We typically encounter free radical damage from our environment, including drugs, alcohol, smoking, sun exposure, and diet.

Energy Metabolism: 

As we age, our energy metabolism declines. This is especially true of the liver, heart, and skeletal muscles. Research suggests that coenzyme Q10 concentrations in these tissues also drop with age. Some researchers believe that by the time we are in our sixties, our CoQ10 levels have dropped to 10% of what they were when we were 30 years old. If we want to stay healthy and energetic well into our later years, we need more CoQ10 than what our body makes on its own.

CoQ10 and the Aging Process

As we age, it is important that we increase our intake of antioxidants to combat the effects of reactive oxygen species. CoQ10 is an enzyme that also functions as an antioxidant. It is found in almost every cell of your body. Q10 helps convert food into energy while also fighting damage to your body's cells. Here is how it works:

Mitochondria generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a byproduct of ATP (energy) production. If not neutralized by antioxidants, ROS may damage mitochondria over time, causing them to function less efficiently and produce even more oxidizing compounds. Coenzyme Q10 plays an important role in mitochondrial ATP synthesis and functions as an antioxidant in mitochondrial membranes.

In addition to preventing lipid peroxidation (when oxygen atoms attack the unsaturated bonds in fatty acids), CoQ10 can regenerate the antioxidant vitamins C and E back to their active, fully reduced forms.

Plus, coenzyme Q10 helps to improve circulation, which means that nutrients are more efficiently transported to your tissues and oxygen is delivered more readily throughout your body, including your brain.

The brain, which is rich in fatty acids and requires a high amount of oxygen, is more susceptible to oxidative damage than other organs. Mitochondria are the main energy generators of brain cells. With age, mitochondrial function usually decreases, which could lead to the death of brain cells. Poor circulation can deliver less "fuel" to your brain, which could also impact your cognitive ability. In addition to helping support healthy circulation, CoQ10 can also help reduce free radicals and compounds that contribute to cognitive decline, thanks in part to its ability to function as a fat-soluble antioxidant.

Research on CoQ10 and Aging

CoQ10 has been the subject of numerous trials and has been shown in research to be effective for a variety of health concerns and conditions, including atherosclerosis, the hardening of the arteries, heart failure, energy production in athletes, and the symptoms of fibromyalgia (including widespread muscle pain and fatigue).

There is also some emerging evidence linking CoQ10 supplementation to the aging process. However, one small randomized controlled trial studying elderly individuals over the age of 70 showed improvements in vitality, physical performance, and quality of life when treated with a combination of CoQ10 (200 mg/day) and selenium (100 IU/day). A 12-year follow-up of the people taking supplemental selenium and coenzyme Q10 showed a reduction in cardiovascular mortality compared to the people taking a placebo.

In addition to maintaining healthy mitochondria, taking CoQ10 can benefit individuals of all ages by reducing the energy drain of oxidative stress and providing a rich antioxidant source that protects against oxidative damage.

Supplementing with CoQ10

Our bodies produce CoQ10, but production begins to slow after the age of 40. By the time we are in our sixties, many researchers believe that our CoQ10 levels have dropped to 10% of what they were when we were 30. Taking a CoQ10 supplement replaces the CoQ10 that our body isn’t making enough of.

For best results, we recommend taking coenzyme Q10 as an oral supplement.

• Dose: 100 to 200 mg per day. Your natural healthcare practitioner may recommend that you take a higher dose, however.
• To enhance absorption, softgels are the most common form of CoQ10 supplements. You can also take it in tablet or capsule form, but softgels are the easiest to swallow and absorb quickly.
• Cautions: CoQ10 is safe, but it’s important to note that there are no known side effects. It has been used in research trials for more than 40 years without any significant adverse reactions. However, if you have a heart condition or diabetes and take blood-thinning medications such as warfarin (Coumadin), talk to your doctor before adding CoQ10 to your daily regimen.
• Using coenzyme Q10 topically: In addition to using CoQ10 as an oral supplement, it can also be used topically to keep skin youthful. Researchers have found that topical CoQ10 can penetrate into the epidermis and reduce oxidation, and they have concluded that CoQ10 can prevent many of the effects of photoaging on the skin.
• Other supplements to combine with coenzyme Q10: Coenzyme Q10 is a powerful antioxidant that works to neutralize free radicals in your body. It can be taken alongside other supplements that also have antioxidant properties, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids.

CoQ10 Supplement FAQs

How Does Coenzyme Q10 Work?

CoQ10 works by helping to produce energy in cells throughout the body.

When Should I Take CoQ10?

CoQ10 is most effective when taken in divided doses throughout the day.

How Much CoQ10 Should I Take?

The recommended dosage of CoQ10 varies depending on the condition being treated and can range from 50 mg to 200 mg per day, although some studies have shown that higher doses (600–900 mg) may be more effective.

Related Articles

How CoQ10 Helps to Improve Poor Blood Circulation

How Coenzyme Q10 Helps in Improving Mitochondrial Health

How to Manage High Blood Pressure Naturally with CoQ10

References

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2779364/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26482687/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29641571/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047637421000932#bib0220

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a hormone that is produced in the adrenal gland and acts as a precursor to over 50 different hormones in the human body. As you age, your body produces less DHEA and researchers believe that low levels of DHEA can be a factor in the development of "old age" symptoms. Some of the most important hormones that DHEA can be converted to are the sex hormones, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Let's explore DHEA supplements and how you can keep these levels elevated. 

Key Health Benefits of DHEA

DHEA supplements may be beneficial for low libido, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, loss of muscle mass, memory problems, blood clots, depression, and fatigue. By increasing muscle mass & energy, DHEA can also improve athletic performance. These effects are likely caused by increases in testosterone levels. 

Top Ways To Get More DHEA In Your Diet

Increasing DHEA Through Diet

There are several options to enhance the body's production of DHEA without taking DHEA supplements. By supporting the function of the adrenal gland the body can optimize its DHEA levels, relative to a person's age. Essential fatty acid and protein intake is important. Essential fatty acids, such as omega-3 fats, are used to make steroid molecules, the precursors to hormones like DHEA. Protein intake is also extremely important to reap the benefits of increased DHEA since protein is what the body uses to build muscle and repair tissue under the direction of hormones like DHEA.

Supplements For DHEA

Vitamins and minerals that support adrenal function include the B complex, especially B5, vitamin and zinc. Adaptogenic Herbs that support the adrenal gland, include all types of ginseng, astragalus, licorice, shiitake and maitake. Some herbs contain molecules that look like steroids and can similarly stimulate the body to hormones like DHEA. These herbs include Tribulus (puncture vine) and Damiana.

Cautions & Considerations of DHEA Supplements

DHEA is a restricted substance in Canada because it affects the levels of many hormones in the body. Large-scale human trials have not been conducted to assess the safety of this hormone in supplemental use. In other countries, it is found as encapsulated powder. Interestingly, another form of DHEA, known as 7-keto DHEA has some of the benefits of DHEA (weight loss, PMS, and cholesterol regulation), but does not convert into estrogen or testosterone and therefore has fewer contraindications than DHEA.